Council appoints an EU Special Representative for the South Caucasus

The Council decided today to appoint a European Union Special Representative (EUSR) for the South Caucasus, and appointed Mr. Heikki Talvitie to this position. The decision is in line with the Council's stated wish to play a more active political role in the South Caucasus (Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia).

The EUSR will contribute to the implementation of the EU's policy objectives, which include assisting the countries of the South Caucasus in carrying out political and economic reforms, preventing and assisting in the resolution of conflicts, promoting the return of refugees and internally displaced persons, engaging constructively with key national actors neighbouring the region, supporting intra-regional co-operation and ensuring co-ordination, consistency and effectiveness of the EU's action in the South Caucasus. The EUSR will support the work of High Representative Solana in the region.

To further these objectives, the EUSR will in particular develop contacts with governments, parliaments, judiciary and civil society, encourage the three countries to co-operate on themes of common interest such as security threats, the fight against terrorism and organized crime and prepare the return of peace including through recommendations for action related to civil society and rehabilitation of territories. He will also assist in conflict resolution, in particular to enable the EU better to support the UN Secretary-General and his Special Representative for Georgia, the Group of Friends of the UNSG for Georgia, the OSCE Minsk Group, and the conflict resolution mechanism for South Ossetia under the aegis of the OSCE.

The Joint Action adopted today (doc. 10547/03) on the appointment of the EUSR applies until 31 December 2003.

Mr. Talvitie, born 1939, has been Under-Secretary of State at the Finnish Ministry of Foreign Affairs (1993-96) and Ambassador of Finland in Belgrade (1984-88), Moscow (1988-92) and Stockholm (1996-2002). He was co-chairman of the OSCE's Minsk Conference on the Nagorno-Karabakh issue in 1995-96.

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